PUNE, Jan 27: A goal in the dying minutes of play enabled hosts Friends XI post a narrow 3-2 win over Tigers Combine to make it to the next round in the late Vasantrao Deshpande Memorial football tournament played at the New English School, Tilak Road, today.The young lads from Tigers Combine tasted success in the opening minutes, the goal coming in spectacular fashion. A free kick taken by Anirudha Mangalwadekar from top of the eighteen yard box in front of the goal hit the horizontal bar and rebounded back into play.The unguarded Umesh Pisal lunged forward to head the ball home. However their joy was short lived as, in a reversal of situations, Friends XI converted in similar way off a free kick in the 10th minute. Abhijit Deshpande nudged the ball sideways to Hanumant Thorat who was successful in his attempt to put the ball in to the extreme right of the goal.Friends XI went 2-1 up in the 21st minute in a a comedy of errors when custodian Amol Awad banged headlong into the goal upright with the ball in possession and stepped into the goal. After the breather Tigers Combine lads equalised off another free kick near the goal. Anirudha stepped forward to take the attempt from the right which sailed into the goal at the top left corner.A steady battle followed and a tie breaker situation looked inevitable. two minute before the whistle medio Hanumant Thorat took a cracking shot at the goalfor the match winner.Tomorrow's fixtures: (At New English School): Phoenix XI vs NDA Youth XI.
